Nov
11
While working on Ariel and David’s wedding photos, I came across a series of David’s changing expressions when he was waiting for Ari to walk down the aisle to become his wife. First off, you may recall that these two saw each other before the ceremony. And still this moment was extraordinarily emotional. This was my experience on our wedding day and has been my experience observing several other grooms, but seeing David in this way, I knew instantly how I would describe this particular phenomen. David was truly a Sweet Mess (the nice version of Christian‘s ‘hot mess‘). And I gotta say I adore that about him.
While I think that term is particularly appropriate for gentlemen, Ari wasn’t far behind. From tears to laughter in moments. Beautiful.
To give you a sense of the scene around them, check out the view from their ceremony site at the Fruitlands Museum. They chose to celebrate their nuptials in a field, under a tree, overlooking the valley. And clearly they have done some good things in their lives, because karma was on their side. It had been raining the whole week before and then rained again the whole week after. But on their wedding day, the skies were perfect.
More laughter.
Ari and David added many personal touches. I especially liked that their unity candle was lit with flames from both parents; all of their guests also lit candles as part of the ceremony.
Happiness.
After a few portraits as the sun was setting, we returned to the tent for the reception. And they went right into their first dance. Loving the twirling skirt captured by my associate Rene. Last night, during their premiere, Ari and David shared that they had only spent about 10 minutes planning their dance. Really? I still don’t believe it. They completely owned it.
Ari’s sister gave such a nice toast with a sweet story. More laughter ensued.
Ariel’s dad enjoying dancing with his daughter.
And David with his mom. More sweetness.
And then there were the guests. Clearly enjoying the music.
This is just one of many fun photos of Ariel’s mom. She wore a smile literally every time I looked at her.
During one of the extra toasts.
Then at last, Ariel had a little free time to get down on the dance floor. Good times!
What an amazing day! Congrats and many thanks to Ariel and David for including us in your celebration.
And much gratitude to the team of pros who helped everything go so smoothly. First of all, Francie Dorman from Linnea Tangorra Wedding Planning, you did a wonderful job. It was great to work with you.
And the rest of the best:
Getting ready venue: Le Meridien Hotel
Ceremony and reception site: Lillian Lee from the Fruitlands Museum
Floral: Meredith McCarthy Floral Design and Tangorra Wedding Planning
Officiant: Rev. Sylvia Johnson
Caterer: Fireside Catering
DJ: Greg "Gates" Plowman from Entertainment Concepts
Invitations: Lilywillow Paper and Press and Gus and Ruby Letterpress
Hair: Melissa Gullotti
Make-up: Dani Wagener
Bride’s dress: a private label
Groom’s suit: Ralph Lauren
Want more of Ari and David? Definitely check out their engagement session, their sneak peek and their PicFlick.
Nov
02
During her speech, Ariel’s sister shared a story about a time when she was in elementary school and she brought someone super special to show and tell, because that someone was so wonderful she wanted to share. Ariel and David’s wedding was one of those things that’s so beautiful, I would bring it to Show and Tell, if I could. So today we have a virtual Show and Tell.
Ariel and David’s wedding day was filled with warmth, overwhelming emotions and so much love. Tears were spilling all over the place amidst huge infectious smiles. Such joy at every turn. The energy and the ease of the day balanced just so, allowing our bride and groom to feel relaxed and excited all at the same time.
I started with Ariel for a few details and getting ready photos.
One of the things I remember strongly from our first meeting was that Ariel had a vision for jewel tones to be incorporated into her wedding design. I had no idea this would play out in such fun ways. For instance, she wore emerald green shoes under her wedding dress. Love it.
Her sister/maid of honor helped her get into her dress.
The rest of the bridesmaids and her mom also assisted.
Meanwhile, my associate Rene was hanging with the boys, capturing their getting ready downstairs.
Apparently this handkerchief took awhile to fold just right, though it looks effortless here.
Ariel and David chose to see each before the ceremony, in part so that they had time for their portraits before the sun went down. I am so glad they did. They had a beautiful, private chance to take each other in. And then they had simply lovely light for their portraits.
On her way to her groom.
David waiting for her to approach.
The Fruitlands Museum, where Ariel and David, celebrated their wedding has absolutely beautiful grounds- gardens, forests, fields and varied historic buildings. We wanted to stay away from the ceremony site, so spent our time amidst the trees and the meadow.
And did I mention the funky tree sculptures? I wasn’t sure I was going to take any photos with them but then Ariel told me that her aunt had a connection to the artist. Honestly, this turns out to be one of my favorite images. It feels like this guy is protecting them or looking out for them in some fashion.
So loving this smile on Ariel’s face as we head to the ceremony. Time to get married!
Just a tease for now. More soon with photos from their beautiful ceremony overlooking the hills at sunset and their wonderfully fun party.
Want more from Ariel and David now? I highly recommend viewing their engagement photos. Beautiful!
Aug
26
Nope. Dorchester isn’t the first place that comes to mind when discussing where to do an engagement session. That’s probably why Ariel didn’t bring it up initially. But once we started talking, she mentioned how much they love their neighborhood and that there was this one area- the Lower Mills- that had beautiful old factory buildings. They reminded her of her past life in Pittsburgh. But when she and David looked around, they didn’t really know how we would be able to use the space for photos. I was intrigued, to say the least, so I popped down for a peak and instantly fell in love with the area. And so it was settled. The Baker Chocolate buildings would be the sweetest backdrop for their portraits.
The only thing sweeter than the reminder of chocolate in the air was watching Ariel and David together. They totally support each other and absolutely enjoy their time together.
Working with these two was definitely a collaboration, they were willing to try anything and pointed out architectural elements they saw that were interesting to them, such as the lines of the wood ceiling in this alleyway.
Plus they had just the right membership to gain access to this fire escape. When I found out about that, I was ecstatic. I have always wanted to shoot a couple on a fire escape- reminds me of the languid Porgy and Bess song Summertime. I so enjoy the steaminess of this image. Take your time on this one. Slow down. Look around. Dive into it. And enjoy.
After a quick outfit change, we made our way across the street to the Baker Chocolate Factory lofts. We played around a bit in the courtyard.
So while this area was perfect, I was a little concerned about all the red brick and really wanted Ariel and David to have another color in the mix. Plus Ariel had shared how much David liked to climb rocks and enjoyed green space. On my scouting mission, I came across an area with beautiful granite rocks down by the river. It only required a short walk to the water’s edge.
The rock above was the safe rock; the easy one to get to. Of course, David saw another rock- one that required some of his skills and a balancing act on mine and Ariel’s part as well. I happen to enjoy scrambling on rocks myself, so I was up for it, as long as Ariel was. Fearlessly, she took David’s hand and ventured to the rock hanging over the water. You can’t quite tell the tight rope walking adventures required to get there, but let me just say, I was impressed.
It was worth the effort. Looking back on the Mills.
A loving gaze and beautiful reflections in the water. Doesn’t look like Dorchester. And it felt like a million miles away from everything.
What a great afternoon! Thank you, Ariel and David, for your adventurous spirits. I absolutely can’t wait for your wedding at the Fruitlands Museum.
Oct
07
Me oh my- I am so excited to share more from Lauren and David’s amazing day at the Castle Hill Inn.
With the rain far behind us, we captured a few images of our happy couple with the beautiful scenery whenever we could steal them away.
And then we spent the rest of the evening photographing all the joy- and there was lots.
Lauren and David definitely like to have fun. They are so playful together. And Lauren must have had about a thousand different facial expressions to show her happiness.
After the first dance, the hora.
Each couple went up in turn, Lauren and David first, followed by Lauren’s parents, and then David’s. His mom was a little nervous I think.
David’s cousin gave one of the toasts and he rewarded her with a huge thank you hug.
Dancing got underway in full force. Lauren’s parents, so fun.
I loved this moment. Just before they fed each other the cake, there was definitely some teasing going on. And Lauren, all with her eyes, says, "Please."
Then more dancing. Lauren made sure to have a little time with each of her grandfathers.
And with her girlfriends.
Lauren’s sister was a great help throughout the day, and also enjoyed a little time on the dance floor once the party got underway.
Maybe the best thing about a destination wedding, like this one in Newport, is that everyone has more time together, because all of the guests stay for the weekend.
Lauren enjoys another chance to connect with friends.
I have to close with one of my favorite images from the day. We had this amazing sunset over the water. Such a beautiful place to spend a couple of moments as newlyweds.
Many thanks to the professionals who helped make Lauren and David’s day so special.
A big shout out to Nancy and her team at Castle Hill. Nancy was truly amazing, top notch all the way.
Also special thanks to Rocco Michaluk of Video & Vision. It was really great to work with you.
And for helping to complete Lauren and David’s vision:
Floral Design (more on this in a later post because WOW! gorgeous work): Laurel Lane of Laurel Lane Floral Design
Wedding cake and groom’s cake: Scrumptions
Invitations: Ruth at The Party People
Other printed materials: Judith Carroll at Papers
For creating Lauren and David’s personal looks:
Hair and Make-up: Jen Murphy and Frank Antonio from Frank Antonio Hair & Makeup
Lauren’s wedding dress: Romona Keveza from Bridal Reflections
Bridesmaid dress: Lazaro from Fontana’s
David’s attire: Georgio Armani
Groomsmen’s attire: Calvin Klein from Century 21
Plus a huge thank you to Lauren and David and your families. It was such a joy to be a part of your day and to celebrate with you.
Make sure to check out their slideshow as well.
Oct
01
I adore Lauren and David. Yup, I do. Why? Because nothing could dampen their spirits on their wedding day. And they had a few more things than normal to contend with, including a torrential downpour that came out of nowhere about 20 minutes before their outdoor ceremony was set to begin. Throughout it all, they handled everything that came their way with grace. I not only adore them, I admire them. And it doesn’t hurt that they are super nice and darn cute together.
So let’s start at the beginning of their day. We met up with Lauren at the Castle Hill Inn in Newport where she and David were celebrating their wedding. We started with Lauren in her room as she and her girlfriends were getting ready.
Then she met up with David in the chalet garden, where they saw each other for the first time on their wedding day.
The rain started coming down just as we finished the family portraits. And it kept coming down for a good long time. Fortunately, the ketubah and bedeken ceremonies were scheduled to be indoors. The went off without a hitch.
It seemed like the rain would pass. It was amazing- on one side of the building you could see sunshine and blue skies, on the other side rain. Lauren waited and watched.
They held off the ceremony as long as they could and just in time, the skies cleared completely. Except for a few of the most perfect fluffy clouds. It was definitely worth the wait.
A few of my favorites from the ceremony…
That’s David’s brother walking Lauren and David’s puppy, and ringbearer, Henry. Isn’t Henry such a sweet little pup?
Lauren walking down the aisle under the enormous sky…
Lauren during the ceremony…
The sun shining down on the happy couple under the chuppah…
I love Lauren’s smile.
And David’s.
And a fabulous kiss under blue skies.
Talk about weathering the storm. Lauren and David absolutely enjoyed all of the good stuff that came their way. It was such a delight to be with them on their wedding day.
There are definitely lots more to come. But if you want more now, check out the sneak peek on the Allegro Photography fan page.
